rumination
9 synonyms for rumination, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The habit of going over the same distressing thought again and again without ever reaching a resolution.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun psychology
The habit of going over the same distressing thought again and again without ever reaching a resolution.
“Rumination keeps the argument alive in your head long after it ended.”
2. noun
Long, careful thought about a subject, or a piece of writing that records it.
“The book is a quiet rumination on grief and gardening.”
How to use rumination
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Sense 1 is clinical, sense 2 literary; both are common.
Etymology
From Latin ruminari "to chew the cud, turn over in the mind", from rumen "throat, gullet".
Full origin of rumination →